


Hit Me With Your Love

by thatfandomkid



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Blood, Car Accidents, Developing Relationship, Hospitals, M/M, there's some strong language toward the end so thats why it's not tagged as general audiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-03 10:32:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4097683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatfandomkid/pseuds/thatfandomkid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will hits Nico with his car, he goes to the hospital, they fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone is slightly older in this than they are in the books- they're all college age, but this isn't a college AU.  
> There's mention of quite a lot of blood when Will goes to see who he hit with his car, so if you have any issues with that, just scroll past it. It's not very detailed, but just a heads up.  
> This is unbeta'd- sorry for any grammar/spelling errors

Will had the windows down as he barreled down the residential street in his yellow jeep. He wasn’t speeding- at least, not very much. The road ahead was empty and Will didn’t see any cops, so he figured no one would mind him going a bit fast.

Brick houses stood on either side of the street, cars parked in front of the properties. Uptown Funk was pouring from the jeep’s speakers and Will was going hard- full on head banging and singing along.

The road had been pretty empty for the past few blocks, which is probably why it took Will so long to see the guy with the large headphones crossing the street ahead.

Will slammed on the breaks, his body flying against his seatbelt as the jeep attempted to stop. The screeching of his tires pierced the air, the car slowing, but failing to stop in time.

With a dull thud, the front of the jeep connected with the guys body, sending him to the ground. Will threw the car into park and disconnected his seatbelt. The radio was still blasting the end of Uptown Funk when Will dropped to his knees beside the guy he had hit.

The guy was laying on his side, groaning in pain. The large headphones had managed to stay on, but were now covered in deep scratches and blood.

“Shit, dude, I - can you hear me? Are you okay?”

Will’s hands hovered just over the guy’s shoulder, unsure of whether it was safe to turn him over.

Before he could make a decision though, the guy rolled over on his own. Shaggy black hair was matted to a pale forehead with sweat and- yeah, that was definitely blood. Will searched for the injury that was beginning to pool blood beneath the stranger’s body. He found a large gash near the back of the guy’s head, blood oozing steadily from the injury.

Will cursed under his breath and ran back to his jeep. He grabbed his emergency hoodie from the back seat and ran back to the guy bleeding out in front of his car. Pressing the hoodie against the wound as carefully as he could, Will pulled out his phone and called the police.

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”

“Hello? I need an ambulance, I hit someone with my car and he’s bleeding pretty badly. I’m putting pressure on it to stop the bleeding, but he needs an ambulance,” Will half yells into the phone.

He gives the lady on the other line an address and looks down at the guy on the ground. The guy was getting paler, he was losing too much blood.

“An ambulance is headed towards you right now, just hold-”

The phone dropped from between Will’s shoulder and cheek. An ambulance was on its way, Will just had to keep the guy alive until they did.

The guy groaned again, less audibly than the first time.

“Hey- can you hear me?”

More groans.

“If you can hear me, I need you to try to wake up, okay? Your head’s bleeding, if you pass out you might die please, _please_ stay awake, the ambulance is coming, just a few minutes,” Will said, a little to the guy on the ground, but mostly to himself.

Will doesn’t remember the ambulance arriving, doesn’t remember fighting with the officers pulling him away from the stranger’s body.

But the next thing he knew, Will was talking to a police officer.

*

“...they said someone was on their way, so I waited. That’s it. What hospital did they take him to? Is he gonna be okay?”

The officer grimaced.

“Well, the accident could’ve been a whole lot worse,” he said. “But he didn’t look great, kid. They took him over to Mount Sinai. I’ve got your information, so you’re free to go. Be careful, hear me?”

“Thanks officer, I will,” he responded, mindlessly heading back to the driver’s door of his jeep.

Will stopped before he got there though. Even though the police had washed away most of the blood, the ground in front of his car was stained with a red tint. Bits and pieces of the outer shell of the guy’s headphones lay on the concrete. The front of the jeep was completely unscathed.

Of all the things that happened in the past half hour, that was most alarming to Will. That he hit someone, potentially ending that someone’s life- a life that probably included friends, family, co-workers, pets- and there was no evidence on his car to show for it. His car wasn’t hurt. He wasn’t hurt. And that made Will’s stomach turn.

His thoughts were interrupted by the unexpected shine on the pavement. Something was sparkling a bit in the sunlight a few feet away. It was probably a nickel or something, but curiosity got the better of him, and Will found himself approaching the shiny object.

Squatting to see what had caught his eye, he saw a small metal ring. A skull was set atop the simple metal band, giving weight to the small object.

 _It has to belong to him,_ Will thought. _There’s no way this is just lying in the street, but… Better safe than sorry right? I’ll just take it with me to the hospital. If it’s not his, then it won’t matter._

Pocketing the ring, Will shuffled quickly into his jeep.

His car felt different. Will’s hands shook as he fastened his seatbelt and turned on the car. He jumped at the volume of the radio, still turned up from before. Heart racing, Will shut the radio off and checked his mirrors. He took a deep breath in an attempt to steady his heart.

A sharp knock from the passenger side had it racing again seconds later. Will snapped his head towards the window; it was the cop from before.

“Sorry if I startled you, kid, but one of the paramedics told me that they have the hoodie you were using to stop the blood. If it’s yours, you can pick it up at the hospital.”

Will nodded absently and thanked the officer again. He rolled up the windows of his jeep and slowly drove away from the accident and toward the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm gonna try to update every 2 or 3 weeks with a new chapter. You can find me on tumblr if you want (apotterlifeforme) B-)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: description of a panic attack (see end notes for details)*
> 
> unbeta'd please excuse grammar/spelling errors

“You’ve reached Lou Ellen, leave a message.”

Will groaned at the automatic message and the beep that followed. Ending the call, Will leaned his head against his steering wheel.

He sat in his car, parked in the hospital’s garage, trying to gain the courage to go see the guy he hit.

_What if he’s unconscious? What if he’s in surgery? What if he’s-_

Will phone interrupted his thoughts. Lou Ellen was calling him back.

“Hey sweetie, what’s up,” Lou Ellen asked, her voice light and loving. He heard Cecil yell something at her in the distance. “Cecil says hi, by the way.”

“Yeah… Um…”

“Will? Are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah… No. Absolutely not. Lou, I- I hit someone with my car and he’s in the hospital. I- I’m sitting in the parking lot of Sinai right now… I can’t…”

“Oh my god, Will. Are you okay? Did you talk to the police?”

“I’m fine, I talked to them before I drove here.”

“Have you called your dad?”

He didn’t respond.

“Will? Did you call your dad?”

More silence.

“Are you still there? Will? Hello?”

“I’m here… I- no. I haven’t called him…”

“Maybe you should. I mean, I’ve only met him a few times, but he seems like he cares about you. He’d want to know about this. I know you can’t afford to pay for someone’s medical bills alone, let alone a lawyer should this guy take you to court over-”

“Lou, who cares about money, _I nearly killed someone_. For all I know he died on the way over here or in surgery-”

“Will, I’m sorry, I-”

“How can I know that I’m not sitting in the parking lot waiting to go check on someone who is already dead. If he’s dead it’s my fault…”  
Silence.

Will fought the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

“Will?”

With a sniff, he responded, “Yeah?”

“I think you should call him.”

Will ran a hand through his messy blonde hair.

“Yeah, I… I know…”

“Do you want me and Cecil to meet you over there?”

“You guys don’t have to-”

“We’ll be there soon. Call your dad; you might feel better after some sagely words from an adult.”

“He’s not exactly the best example of an adult, but yeah, I’ll call him. See you in a few, Lou Ellen… And thanks.”

“What are friends for, Solace?”

And with that, Lou Ellen hung up.

Will opened his contacts to find his dad’s number. Minutes passed as his finger hovered over the call button. Deciding that it would be less stressful, he sends his dad a text instead.

_Hey dad, it’s me. I’m at mt.sinai hospital. Don’t worry, I’m fine. Do you think you could meet me here when you’re done with work? Don’t feel like you need to rush though._

Pocketing his phone, Will headed to the hospital entrance.

*

The sound of his steps haunted his short walk to the front desk. The receptionist, a young black woman, looked up from her computer with a pleasant smile.

“Hello, sir, welcome to Mount Sinai Hospital, can I help you with anything?”

“Hi, um… I… I’m looking for a guy- he would’ve been brought in an ambulance, he was in a car accident.”

“Can I get the name of the patient?”

“I- I don’t know his name.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but without a patient name, I can’t get you their room number,” she responded with an apologetic smile.

Will sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Um, some paramedics have my sweater, I don’t know who they are. They would’ve recently brought in a young looking guy. Do you know where would I find them?”

“I’ll call down and see what I can do. In the meantime, why don’t you have a seat sir?”

Will nodded absently, but turned and sat in the chair closest to the front desk. The woman was on the phone now, looking for the paramedics who had Will’s hoodie.

Potted plants sat in the corners of the lobby. Will could see the people milling about outside the hospital. The way they laughed and talked about their day with their friends and families. All of them oblivious to Will and the guy from the accident. Oblivious to the pain of so many that lay just beyond the walls of the building.

“Sir?”

The receptionist’s voice pulled Will back to the present.

“Yes?”

“Do you have a photo ID with you?”

Will fished out his license and handed to to her.

“Okay, Mr. Solace, can you look into this camera please?”

Will turned to face the bulky, black contraption that sat on the reception desk. He found the lense, looking into the camera as if he could see the mechanisms at work.

“Alright then Mr. Solace, here is your ID and your hospital ID sticker. Make sure that is visible, we don’t want you getting thrown out by accident,” the receptionist smiled at him. “You can head through those doors down there, take the first right and you’ll find another reception desk. A Mr. Cardona will meet you there with your jacket. If you get lost, feel free to ask any member of hospital staff for assistance. Have a great day, Mr. Solace.”

Will smiled, surprising himself. He didn’t think he was still capable of smiling.

“Thanks-” Will glanced at the woman’s name tag, “Julie. I appreciate it.”

And without another word, Will walked as quickly as he could to the doors Julie the receptionist had pointed to.

The hallway was pretty empty. At the far end of the corridor was a janitor; they were setting up a yellow “Slippery When Wet” sign. Pastel paintings hung every few feet on the left wall. Each picture was a different shore line.

One was a sunny beach, probably somewhere warm and sunny. People ran along the shore or sat on blankets, all of them facing the ocean. Another looked like a lake somewhere up north, like Vermont or Canada. The trees on the opposite shore were vaguely reflected on the water’s surface.

Will turned right and found the desk the Julie the receptionist had mentioned. When he reached it, a friendly looking nurse greeted him.

“Are you Mr. Solace?”

“Yeah, I- uh, I’m here for my jacket..”

“Ricky will be here in a minute, feel free to have a seat while you wait,” the nurse said.

Will smiled gratefully and sat in one of the chairs.

He wasn’t seated long though; a tall man dressed in navy cargo pants, boots, and a gray hospital tshirt walked up to the nurse’s desk, smiling widely.

“Hola, hola, hola. Someone picking up a sweater?”

Will looked at the fabric in the man’s hand and the room began to spin. He stopped breathing, chest tightening painfully. He could hear his blood rushing through his body, the sound overpowering the mundane noises in the hospital. Will struggled for breath, his skin too hot, shirt too tight.

Will was vaguely aware of worried voices around him, but he couldn’t see where they came from. All he could see was his sweater, covered in the blood of the guy he hit. The guy on the asphalt in front of his Jeep, blood pooling beneath his head and soaking through the hoodie in Will’s hands. His vision went black.

“Mr. Solace? Will, can you hear me?”

The lightly accented voice came through as the rushing sound subsided. Will felt a hand gently rubbing his back.

“There you go, it’s okay, Will. My name is Ricky, I came to give your hoodie back-”

Will shook his head ‘no’ violently. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

“Will, I need you to stay with me, okay? Lean forward and put your head between your knees. This is gonna help you breathe, okay?”

Will followed Ricky’s instructions, focusing on the softness of his voice telling him to breathe in then breathe out in a steady rhythm.

The roaring in Will’s ears faded out, the floor of the hospital coming into focus.

“There you go, Will. You’re doing great,” Ricky assured him. “Maddie, can you get some water for him?”

Will heard the nurse’s sneakers on the linoleum tiles fade as she retrieved some water.

“You with me, Will?”

He looked up.

“There you are.” Ricky smiled.

 _He has a nice smile_ , Will thought.

“How are you feeling, Will? Are you getting enough oxygen?”

Will couldn’t find words, but nodded at him.

“That’s good, keep breathing. In… and out, great job.”

Ricky remained kneeling next to Will until Maddie returned. In her hands she held a bottle of water and a cup or orange jello.

Will nodded at Maddie gratefully. He twisted the cap off of the bottle with shaking hands and took a long sip.

“Eat your jello, you need the sugar,” Maddie instructed him gently.

With a nod, Will started in on the jello.

A few minutes passed in silence. When Wil finished his jello, he looked at Ricky.

“I don’t want the hoodie back… I- I thought I did, but- I don’t want it,” he whispered.

“That’s okay, Will. It happens. When people go through something traumatic, their brain can create associations that trigger the fear response. These-”

“I know what a panic attack is, I just… I didn’t expect…”

“Nobody expects panic attacks unless they’re chronic, Will. How do you know how panic attacks work?”

“I’m a biology major,” Will muttered.

“Are you now? What do you want to do after you finish school?”

“Medical school. I wanna go into pediatrics.”

“That’s great, Will. You know, that guy you hit was in pretty bad shape. Honestly, I thought he was gonna bleed out before we got here.”

Will looked down at his shoes.

“He would’ve bled out, Will. But you saw him bleeding, and you kept a level head. You took your sweater and tried to stop the bleeding until we got there. If you hadn’t, that kid would have died. You did a good thing,” Ricky said.

“But I hit him, I-”

“Accidents happen, Will. They happen everyday. You didn’t go after this guy, right?”

He shook his head.

“Exactly. I can tell you’re a good kid, Will. You didn’t come here just for your sweater, did you?”

“I had to come see if he was okay. I had to make sure he was okay.”

Ricky smiled.

“That’s why I know you’re a good kid. Maddie, can I get a room number for the kid I brought in?”

The nurse nodded and went to her computer.

“Nico di Angelo, room 607. He’s not cleared for visitors right now, but you’re free to go up and wait.”

“Gracias, Maddie. Do you want me to walk you up, Will?”

“Uh, you don’t really have to… I’m sure I can, um, find the room. I- thanks.”

“No problem. It was a pleasure meeting you, Will. I hope if we meet again it’s under less stressful circumstances, okay?”

“Me too, Ricky. Thanks again. And thank you for the water and the jello Maddie. And the room number,” Will replied, hand running through his hair.

“If you need anything, you know where to find me,” Maddie smiled.

With a wave, Will followed the signs for the elevator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update! idk if i'll update this regularly, but i'll try to update at least once a month. You can find me on tumblr @ apotterlifeforme
> 
> ***okay, so for anyone who may have a negative reaction to/would be made uncomfortable by descriptions of panic attacks, skip from "Hola, hola, hola..." to "Eat your jello..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the feedback (mostly comments requesting more chapters asap lol), its really nice to see so many people interested :) you guys are great
> 
> this is unbeta'd, dont hate me for grammar/spelling errors

Hours had passed since Will had sat down in the waiting room closest to the guy he’d hit.

_Nico di Angelo_.

Three hours later, and all Will had was a name. The doctors had said Nico was still unconscious- no visitors until he’s awake and feeling up to it.

Lou-Ellen and Cecil had brought dinner over, staying with him. They had done a great job of distracting Will, but it was getting late.

“Will, as much fun as hanging out in a hospital has been, I have classes to study for, a major to pick, all that school shit,” Cecil announced, rising from their corner of the waiting area. “I’m out, let me know if you need anything, man. This guy’s gonna be fine, okay?”

“Thanks, C. And hey, don’t overthink the college thing, you’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah, hopefully it’ll come to me sometime before I’ve wasted enough time and money to need an extra semester or something. You staying Lou?”

Lou Ellen nodded.

“I figured I’d chill here, keep Will from pacing a hole in the floor. And I’m sure he’ll be a gentleman and take me home, right Will?”

“Oh, but of course,” Will laughed.

“See you guys tomorrow, then. Text me when you get home Lou,” Cecil said over his shoulder as he headed to the elevators.

“Always, C. Later!”

Will checked the time a while later.

_6:44 pm._

Visiting hours were coming to a close.

“Well, seems like you won’t have to be stuck here with me much longer. Visiting hours end at 7.”

Lou Ellen shrugged.

“He’ll still be here tomorrow, Will. And he’s alive, he’s gonna recover, hopefully he’ll fully recover, but only time can tell, right?”

“Yeah,” Will said. “Hey, Lou Ellen… I’m really sorry about what I said on the phone earlier, I-”

“Don’t worry about it, Will. I was trying to be light hearted and make a joke, but I messed up. You were totally right to yell at me.”

“I knew you were joking though, that’s why I’m sorry.”

“This is why you’re gonna be a great doctor, Will. Even if it _does_ mean going to med school forever and not hanging out with Cecil and me every night. You care about people- like way more than anyone I’ve ever met. You don’t even know the guy you hit and you’ve sat here to see if he’s okay for hours! Most people would’ve gone home and prayed the guy didn’t sue them for every cent they had, but you’re here, and when he’s conscious you’ll… Actually, what _are_ you gonna do when he gets up?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, what’s your plan for when he wakes up and you can talk to him.”

“Oh… I- I don’t have one, I guess. I just, I don’t know, I thought I’d just wing it… I don’t really have anything past ‘sorry I hit you with my car and nearly killed you’.”

“That’s definitely a good place to start,” Lou Ellen smiled.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment. Will was listening to the dull monotony of the hospital. Occasional foot steps, a quiet conversation across the room, doors being opened and closed down one of the many hallways.

“I texted my dad earlier.”

“And?”

“He was at the studio today, his phone is probably still off.”

Will saw the look Lou Ellen was giving him in response. It was the type of look a mom gave to her kid after asking if they had bathed recently and she didn’t believe them.

“I know, I know, okay? I know I haven’t tried very hard to talk to him about this, but I promise that as soon as I get home, I’ll talk to him about it. I promise.”

Lou Ellen hugged Will tightly.

“I know, sweetie. Just text me if you need anything okay? We should probably head out though, I feel like the nurse over there is giving us the stink eye.”

“One second,” Will said as he hurried over to the reception desk.

The nurse looked up from her computer.

“Can I help you?”

“Yeah, hi. I was wondering if you could let me know if there are any changes with Nico di Angelo?”

The nurse took down his information, but also made it abundantly clear that he would not be the first call. That would be reserved for his family.

_Why hasn’t anyone showed up for him yet_ , Will wondered.

But Will would have to keep on wondering; he needed to take Lou Ellen to her apartment and get home.

*

Will pulled into the garage of his building- well, his dad’s building.

When he walked into the apartment, he found it was empty.

_At least he’s not having a work party tonight_ , Will thought.

Yeah, it would’ve been nice if his dad had been home, or if he had called him by now, or if he had come to the hospital- but Will figured he could settle for an empty apartment.

“Will?! Will, are you home?!”

“I’m in the living room, dad!”

Will suddenly found himself in a tight hug from his dad.

“Will what happened? Are you okay? I saw your message when I got out of work, I’m sorry I didn’t respond earlier,” his dad said hurriedly.

“I’m okay, dad. Really. You were working, don’t worry about it,” Will said. He returned the hug.

“So what happened, Sunbeam? Your text wasn’t very detailed.”

Will hugged his dad tighter.

“I… I got into a car accident today- I’m okay though, but the guy I hit… he’s in the hospital.”

“Oh my god, Will. Have you heard anything?”

“He’s stabilized, so they think he’ll make it, but…”

His dad lead them to the couch, where they sat as Will recounted the day’s events.

“First thing tomorrow, we can go to the hospital and see if anything has changed. Maybe you’ll be able to see him.”

“You don’t have to, dad. I know you have-”

“Going to the hospital is the most important thing I could possibly do tomorrow. My meetings and studio time can wait, okay? You’re more important than my work.”

Will felt his eyes well with tears. He didn’t trust his voice, so instead he nodded.

“I know it’s summer, but I’m gonna make some hot chocolate. Do you want some?”

Again, Will nodded.

His dad rose and walked into their kitchen. Will took the opportunity to get ready for bed.

The apartment was the perfect size for the two of them, even though his dad had been renting it far longer than Will had been staying with him.

Will was comforted by the fact that clearly his dad, upon re-entering his life, had considered the possibility of Will staying with him in New York for extended periods of time. In fact, without his dad, Will wouldn’t have been able to afford college in New York.

When Will returned to the living room, his dad was back on the couch, mugs in hand. He took a seat and accepted a mug.

They watched Futurama until they decided to call it a night.

As Will fell asleep, he thought of his mom back in California and sent her a short text.

_Hey mom, hope your day was good. Love you lots._

Will’s text tone went off a few minutes later.

_TEXT FROM: MOM_   
_Hey Sunbeam! my day was lovely. Is everything alright? How’s NYC? Miss you here at home <3 love you too, sleep well_

Will read his mom’s message. He missed her too. He’d text her in the morning.

Placing his phone back on the nightstand, Will rolled over and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i know this chapter doesnt really go into will and apollo's relationship very much (i mean i dont even use his name in this chapter) but dont worry! itll be talked about later :)
> 
> you can find me on tumblr (apotterlifeforme)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty short chapter this time around. things will pick up soon though. thanks for the interest everybody :)

The next morning Will and his dad drove to the hospital.

Not long after they arrived did Lou Ellen and Cecil show up with coffee.

“Thanks, Lou. Dad, you remember Lou Ellen right? This is Cecil,” Will said as he accepted the coffee.

“Of course, how could I forget the girl who kicked my ass at Scrabble,” Will’s father laughed. Turning to Cecil, he held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet another of his friends.”

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Solace.”

“Please, call me Apollo. Mr. Solace was my father.”

Cecil and Lou Ellen laughed while Will rolled his eyes.

“So have you heard anything yet,” Lou Ellen asked as they took seats in the waiting area.

“Nurse says he’s still out. But he’s healing up pretty well, so there’s that,” Apollo responded.

Their small group sat in the waiting room for hours talking about school, Apollo’s indie record label, plans for the summer. It was so normal, WIll could almost forget they were in a hospital. Almost.

Around noon, Apollo went to pick up some lunch for everyone.

Cecil, Lou Ellen, and Will watched the soap operas on the small waiting room tv, taking turns creating the dialogue and plots they couldn’t hear over the sounds of the hospital.

Among the giggles, Will excused himself to the bathroom.Cecil and Lou Ellen continued to mock the soap operas as he wandered down the hall.

On his way back, he spotted a doctor leaving room 607.

_Nico’s room._

Will caught up to the doctor, hoping to get an update.

“Excuse me!”

The doctor turned around. Her dark hair shone in the fluorescent lights.

“Um, sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could give me an update on Nico di Angelo? I saw you walk out of his room just now, and I, uh- how is he?”

The doctor smiled.

“Mr. di Angelo is making a speedy recovery. He’s regained consciousness and can handle a visitor if you’d like,” she told him.

“I- uh, yeah.”

The doctor lead him back to the room and Will’s heart raced.

“Nico? You have a visitor. Are you feeling up to it?”

“Sure.”

Will’s heart skipped a beat.

Nico was awake. He was talking. And he was about to meet him. The guy that put him in the hospital.

“Go on in.”

Will entered the hospital room. A bathroom branched off to the left of the doorway.In the main space, a large window overlooking the city was on the opposite wall, curtains drawn wide to let sunlight bathe the room. Two beds were in the room, but the one by the window is the one that interested Will.

Nico di Angelo looked almost identical to the way he had laying on the ground in front of Will’s jeep. He wasn’t covered in blood, and had a tinge more color to his face, but that was the face that haunted him.

“Do I know you?”

Will blinked.

“I- uh, no, I guess. Not really. I, uh… My name is Will… Solace.”

Nico’s face scrunched in confusion.

“I… I’m, uh… You got hit by a car, um, a few days ago…”

“Yeah, I know that. why do you think I’m in the hospital?”

“H-how bad are the injuries?”

Nico shot him a questioning look.

“I’m, uh studying. To be a doctor. You don’t have to-”

“Six broken ribs- two on the left, four on the right, fractured skull, fracture in my right leg, left arm is broken in two places, and my left arm had internal bleeding. It’s just bruised now.”

“No brain damage?”

“None so far, but they want to wait a couple days before they clear me of that.”

Will looked at Nico, and Nico looked back at him.

The patient in the other bed rolled over, groaning.

Will looked over.

“Don’t mind him. He’s always doing that,” Nico assured him.

Will turned back to Nico.

“So, um.. how are you feeling?”

Nico rolled his eyes.

“I’m doing fantastic; I could run a marathon dude, thanks for asking.”

“I’m asking if there’s anything I can get you that would make you more comfortable, like water or something…”

“I could go for some chocolate pudding actually…”

“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll stop by later to see how you’re doing,” Will told him.

Nico nodded and Will left the room.

He walked up to a nurse who didn’t look too terribly busy and asked if there was any chocolate pudding that could be sent to room 607.

“I’m sorry, we don’t have any, only vanilla and tapioca.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks anyways,” Will smiled.

As he walked back to Cecil and Lou Ellen, he pulled out his phone.

_TEXT TO DAD:_

_Hey dad, idk if you’re on your way back yet, but think you could pick up some chocolate pudding? Thanks_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, i know its been a while since i've updated, but i've been pretty busy and i'm sick :( ill try to update again soon, but i cant make any promises.  
> again, thanks so much for being interested/bored enough to read this
> 
> you can find me on tumblr (apotterlifeforme)


	5. Chapter 5

Lou Ellen, Cecil, and Will met Apollo outside for lunch.

Sure, they could have eaten inside the waiting area, but Apollo insisted.

“It’s a beautiful day out, and you all need some fresh air and sunlight.”

So the trio joined him at a table in the shade of a large tree with a view of the New York City streets.

As they tore into their sandwiches, Apollo got a call from work.

“Something came up at work and they need me,” Apollo sighed. “Will, I know I said I’d be around today-”

Will shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it, dad, I get it.”

Apollo leaned over to kiss the top of Will’s head.

“I’ll be home for dinner, I promise. We’ll get takeout, your pick?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Will grinned.

Apollo turned to Cecil and Lou Ellen.

“Lovely seeing you both again, you’re more than welcome to join us for dinner.”

Lou Ellen and Cecil thanked him for lunch and with a wave, Apollo was off to the parking lot.

Not 30 seconds later, Will turned to his friends and said, “So I talked to Nico…”

Lou Ellen’s eyes widened and Cecil blocked his spit-take just in time.

“WHAT?! When did that happen? We’ve been with you the whole time,” Lou Ellen half screeched.

Will ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

“When I went to the bathroom earlier, I saw a doctor leaving his room… I asked if he could have visitors, and- and I talked to him…”

“How’d he take it? I can’t imagine he was very happy to see you,” Cecil asked, wiping his hands and the table clean of his soda.

“See, about that… I kind of, maybe freaked out a little and didn’t say I hit him… I may have... said I was interning…”

“Will! You said you were going to tell him,” Lou Ellen said, clearly exasperated.

“I know! But I panicked! He was sitting there, bandaged and cute and-”

“Cute?”

“Shut up,” Will said, blushing.

“We’ll talk about that later- Will, you just lied to him though. When are you planning on telling him?”

“Soon. I promise, I just- I can’t today. This is the first day he’s conscious, I don’t want to stress him out.”

“I’d say you already stressed him out, hitting him with your car and all,” Cecil murmured.

Lou Ellen glared at him as Will dropped his head onto the table.

“What? It’s true!”

Lou Ellen patted Will’s head sympathetically.

“Hey can I have some of that pudding,” Cecil asked.

Will’s head shot up as he remembered the pudding.

“I- yeah, sure. I have to get back inside though, I told Nico I’d bring him some,” Will replied, standing up from the bench.

“You’ve known him less than an hour and he’s already got you buying him pudding,” Lou Ellen mused.

Will ignored her comments and tossed Cecil a pudding cup.

“You guy can go if you want, I can take the subway home.”

“Nah, I have to get some shit done at the library, but we can come pick you up when you’re done here. Your dad invited us for dinner remember? You know I can’t turn down free food,” Cecil said.

“Alright, let me know when you’re back and I’ll meet you in the parking lot. Lou?”

“I better head to the library too. I’m applying for an internship and they’re testing us. Who knew that psychologists wanted informed assistants?”

“Library date, sexy,” Will grinned, eyebrows waggling.

“I think I speak for both of us when I say that as asexuals, we resent that,” Cecil laughed.

“And dates aren’t really my thing, Will. You, on the other hand, should consider asking that bandaged and cute pudding-lover out on one.”

Blushing furiously, Will muttered something about seeing them later and quickly walked back into the hospital, trying to ignore the sounds of laughter behind him.

*

Will knocked carefully on the hospital room door.

“I’m not allowed to get up, so just open the door!”

Will grinned at Nico’s response. He clearly wasn’t very happy about being stuck in bed.

He opened the door and walked over to Nico’s bed. When Will placed the pudding cups on his bedside table, Nico looked at him in surprise.

“You brought me chocolate pudding.”

“Well yeah, I said I would.”

Silence.

“You left the hospital, went to a store, and _bought me_ \- a guy you met in a hospital- chocolate pudding _with your own money_.”

Will could feel his blush creeping across his cheeks and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“Kinda, yeah. But they didn’t have any in the cafeteria, and I said I would, so yeah…”

Nico ducked his head and muttered a “thank you”.

Will cleared his throat, the silence growing awkward the longer they refused to make eye contact.

“I can, uh- I can go. If you want,” Will said, a small part of him hoping he wouldn’t have to.

“No!”

Will looked at Nico, the outburst surprising him, and seemingly Nico as well.

“I mean, I don’t mind you staying. I- I’m just tired, you know? And sick of being in this stupid hospital bed all day,” Nico said.

Will smiled.

“I can imagine. I broke my leg when I was seven, my mom barely let me walk around my bedroom, let alone the rest of the house.”

“How’d you break your leg? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Fell out of a tree back home. My mom was so pissed because she had told me like, a hundred times “don’t climb that damn tree, Will!”, but I did,” he laughed. “But honestly, how was I supposed to resist? It was this huge oak tree with branches that went above the house, and there was this one branch, near the top, that had this great view of the neighborhood. I fell on my way down. My mom yelled at me when she saw I was in the tree and I missed the branch I was trying to step on. She felt so bad the whole ride to the hospital, but by the time we got home she was pissed that I had climbed the tree.”

Nico was smiling too now, and Will felt his stomach do a small flip.

“You know what the best part was though?”

Nico looked at him, waiting for Will to continue.

“Like a week after I got my cast off, after my mom and the doctor told me not to go climbing any more trees, guess who my mom found in that tree before dinner?”

“Seriously?!”

“Seriously,” Will assured him.

Nico laughed and laughed; eventually Will to start laughing along with him.

Will loved the sound of his laugh. When Nico laughed, he didn’t look like the pale stranger Will had hit with his car. His laugh made Will’s heart swell, made him want to laugh with him and not stop.

Groaning from the other bed in the room made them fall silent for a moment.

They looked towards the bed, then back at each other and promptly broke into laughter once more. The next few hours were filled with stories, laughter, and chocolate pudding.

Will told Nico about growing up in California, his dream of being a pediatrician (“Someone has to take care of those kids who didn’t listen to their parents and fell out of trees”), and Cecil and Lou Ellen.

Nico told him about his Italian-American dual citizenship, his friends (“Things are better now that I’m over Percy; honestly it’s kind of embarrassing looking back”), and his job at his dad’s company.

“I mean, I can always go later if I want to, but I’m working with my dad at his company and I just didn’t see the point in going to college when I’m learning what I need from him, you know?”

Will nodded- he understood Nico’s reasoning, he knew plenty of people who had essentially done the same thing back in California.

“Why’d you pick New York for college,” Nico asked.

“It was a pretty tough decision, college in a general sense. My mom didn’t have a lot of money. Like I had a small college fund and I never went without at home, but college is expensive, you know? And growing up I didn’t know my dad- my parents divorced when I was a baby, and my dad left to do his music. A few months after I started hearing back from schools, I got a letter from my dad asking how we were. We started writing, and I told him about college, and he invited me to live with him if I ended up in New York. He came to my graduation, and my mom was happy to see him, and when we told her about me going to school in New York she was really happy. Like happy crying and everything. I think they’re still in love, but maybe it’s just wishful thinking,” Will shrugged. “What about your family? I don’t mean to pry, but you haven’t really had any visitors, and you showed up here in pretty critical condition,” Will asked, guilt creeping into his chest.

“My dad is in Italy on business and my half-sister Hazel is on the west coast of Canada with her boyfriend and some of our friends. I was supposed to fly out to meet them today. She’s flying back tonight, though.”

“And your mom?”

“She died when I was ten.”

Will felt like he was going to throw up.

“I’m sorry, Nico, I didn’t mean to-”

Nico shook his head.

“You didn’t know, it’s okay. It was really hard the first few years, but I’m okay now. My sister Bianca was there for me, my dad too. He never remarried,” Nico said quietly, a small smile on his lips.

“You have two sisters?”

“Had.”

Will wanted more than anything for the floor to open up and swallow him whole.

“Don’t look like you’re about to die, I’m the one that got hit by the car remember?”

Will forced a small laugh at Nico’s attempt to defuse the tension.

“Hazel is my half-sister, from my dad’s marriage before my mom. I only met her two years ago, but she’s been really cool. Bianca… my other sister was my full sister. She was two years older than me. I looked up to her a lot. She died in a car accident a little over four years ago.”

If it was possible, Will felt even worse.

“This must have been terrifying for you…”

“It was. When I got hit, it hurt so much, I thought I was going to die. But then all I could think about was her. They told me she died a few minutes after the impact, that she wasn’t in pain very long. And I was just really glad she didn’t feel the way I did then.”

Will couldn’t look at Nico as he talked about Bianca.

“It’s weird,” Nico continued. “I don’t know if I was ever technically dead after the accident, but I think I saw her, or hallucinated her, or something. She was looking at me the way she did whenever I was sick, like she expected me to get up and be okay. And I just thought that if she didn’t look worried, then I’d be fine.”

Will shifted uncomfortably in the chair he had taken over shortly after they started talking.

“I’m so sorry Nico,” Will whispered.

Nico wiped his eyes with the collar of his hospital gown.

“I was really angry for a long time- I stopped talking to people and just focused on work, but then Hazel showed up and she didn’t really have anyone either, but she went to school, made friends, some of them were people I hadn’t talked to in years. She brought me back. I owe her a lot,” Nico said, the happiness from earlier in the day finally returning to his voice.

Will turned the conversation towards something he hoped would be less heavy: pets.

“My dad got us a doberman pinscher and Bianca named him Cerberus. She thought it was hilarious,” Nico chuckled.

“Maybe it’s just the half greek in me, but I have to agree, it’s pretty hilarious.”

Nico laughed and Will was glad to hear the sound of it.

A little while later a nurse came in and told Will that visiting hours were ending.

Will the clock hanging on the wall.

_6:54 pm_

He and Nico had talked for almost six hours.

Will pulled out his phone and found 6 missed calls from Cecil and 4 text messages from Lou Ellen.

_Shit_.

“I have to go,” Will said, slightly upset with the revelation.

“Yeah, sure,” Nico said as he ducked his head.

“This was really fun.”

Nico looked up at him, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

“Yeah,” Nico agreed.

“Do you have a pen?”

Nico looked confused, but found one in the bedside table and handed it over. Will scribbled on a scrap piece of paper for a moment and handed it to Nico.

“Just in case you had a medical question. Or something,” Will told him sheepishly.

He thought he saw a light pink start to creep across Nico’s face, but Will couldn’t be sure.

“See you,” Will said, slowly walking towards the door.

“Yeah,” Nico repeated quietly.

*

In the middle of his takeout dinner, Will got a text from an unknown number.

_TEXT FROM: UNKNOWN_

_Its nico. Did you get home ok?_

Cecil and Lou Ellen were laughing at a joke Apollo had told.

_TEXT TO: NICO_

_Yeah, i did_

*

Will helped his dad put the leftovers in the fridge as his friends picked a movie to watch.

_TEXT FROM: NICO_

_good_

*

Will walked Cecil and Lou Ellen out of his building and got ready for bed.

_TEXT FROM: CECIL_

_Home :)_

_TEXT FROM: LOU ELLEN_

_C dropped me off, forgot to text you earlier. Night!_

_TEXT TO: CECIL, LOU ELLEN_

_Night :)_

Will lay on his bed in the dark for five minutes before he rolled over and grabbed his phone.

_TEXT TO: NICO_

_Night nico_

_TEXT FROM: NICO_

_Night will_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long! I got past my sickness, then I went on vacation with my family, and unfortunately I think I'm getting sick /again/ but I had to get this out for you guys.
> 
> I headcanon'd that lou ellen is also aromantic
> 
> thanks for sticking with this everyone, i really appreciate it! I think next chapter is gonna be a nico POV, so that should be fun, ill update again when i can
> 
> you can find me on tumblr (apotterlifeforme)


	6. Chapter 6

 

Nico woke the next morning feeling like he got hit by a bus.

 

Well. Close enough.

 

The hospital was chilly, as usual. The light coming from the window was soft and pale, promising a cloudy day.

 

Nico turned to look at the clock on the wall and yawned.

 

7:30

 

He considered going back to sleep, but he’s been asleep for days. He wants to walk around, see his friends- anything to get out of the hospital bed.

 

Nico finds himself rereading the short conversations with Will from the night before. He leans back into his pillows, the corners of his lips twitching at the simple texts.

 

_ This is ridiculous, _ thought Nico.  _ I don’t even know this guy, but here I am, looking at these stupid texts… _

 

He reaches absently for his ring, still slightly surprised when he only feels skin. His ring had gotten lost in the accident.

 

Nico tried to ignore the pang of guilt in his chest at having lost his only connection to his sister.

 

Before he could dwell on it too much, there was a knock at the door.

 

“Door’s open,” he called softly. Nico wasn’t sure if his roommate was asleep or not, but it was probably better to not draw attention to himself if he could avoid it.

 

In walked Hazel Levesque, followed by her boyfriend, Frank Zhang. Her golden eyes were filled with concern as she rushed to hug her half-brother. Nico hugged her back as tightly as his injuries allowed, which wasn’t very much.

 

Frank nodded at him, offering a sympathetic smile.

 

“Thought I was meeting you guys in Canada,” Nico smirked.

 

“Very funny,” Hazel said, rolling her eyes. “How are you? The doctors said you’re recovering well, faster than usual, thank god-”

 

“I’m fine, just a little bruised. You really didn’t have to end your vacation for this, I’ll be out in a few days.”

 

Hazel pulled Nico into her arms again, more gently this time.

 

“Nico-”

 

“I’m serious though, I’m fine. I’m breathing, talking, and after a few days I’ll be walking around like new.”

 

Hazel rested her cheek on top of Nico’s head.

 

“I know… When they called yesterday they told me you were doing well, I just…”

 

She didn’t have to finish.

 

Hazel didn’t have any full siblings, and even though she had only known him for two years, he was her brother.

 

“Dad wishes he could be here, but his meeting-”

 

“-is important and he can’t reschedule, yeah,” Nico finished quietly.

 

Frank cleared his throat, catching the attention of the siblings.

 

“We brought chocolate pudding. Figured you could use the sugary deliciousness now that you’re up and recovering.”

 

Nico smiled at the offer of his favorite snack food, thinking of a certain golden-haired med-student.

 

The three of them sat around eating pudding until Nico’s doctor came to check up on him.

 

“Like I told your sister earlier, you’re making a speedy recovery. There doesn’t seem to be any brain damage, but to be on the safe side, I want you to stay at least until the end of the day. You’ll be out of here by tomorrow morning at the latest,” she smiled.

 

Nico smile spread slowly across his face and glanced at Hazel. She was smiling back at him.

 

“Now remember, just because you’re not in the hospital doesn’t mean you don’t have to take it easy. Your broken ribs and the fracture in your leg should heal in about six weeks, your arm in about two months. The fracture in your skull will be about three months,” the doctor continued. “It’s important that you don’t over-exert yourself so you heal properly and quickly. You’ll be prescribed medication for pain, but if you have any complications or questions, come back as soon as possible.”

 

Hazel and Nico nodded as the doctor finished giving her instructions. When she left, hazel wrapped an arm around her brother and kissed the top of his head.

 

Nico grabbed his phone to text Will when there was another knock at his door.

 

In walked Will Solace.

 

“Hey Nico- oh, sorry, I didn’t realize,”

 

“It’s okay, Will, this is my sister, Hazel, and her boyfriend, Frank. Guys this is Will, he’s a med student.”

 

Nico willed his face to stay neutral, hoped that he was imagining the heat he felt crawling across his face.

 

He glanced at Hazel, who was covering what had to be a grin beneath her hand.

 

_ Damnit. _

 

“I- uh, hi. Nice to meet you,” Will said with a small wave.

 

_ Why would you wave, that’s so dumb. What a dork, _ Nico thought. He felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards of their own accord. He didn’t bother to hide it. Will looked back at him and quickly ducked his head, but not before Nico caught the pink tint on his cheeks.

 

“Frank, let’s go get some lunch,” Hazel announced. Frank shrugged and walked with her to the door, winking at Nico before they left. Nico rolled his eyes.

 

Will walked over to the chair he had occupied the day before and sat down, still avoiding Nico’s eyes.

 

“Are you okay? You seem… I don’t know, off.”

 

“I just- uh, I heard you’re getting discharged tomorrow. That’s great,” Will said.

 

“Yeah, it’ll be great to finally get out of here.”

 

Nico caught the flash of disappointment in Will’s eyes.

 

“I mean,” Nico continued. “Getting out of here means I’m okay. And we can hang out if I’m not in the hospital right? Like without legal issues, and I’d finally know for sure that you don’t have that thing where you only like me because I’m sick.”

 

Nico’s face was on fire, maybe the accident  _ had _ done something to his brain.

 

But he didn’t regret saying it. Especially after seeing the smile break out on Will’s face, a large, genuine smile that was almost blinding.

 

“Yeah? Well, lucky for you the FLorence Nightingale effect isn’t really my style.”

 

Will’s words were flirtatious, his face bright with happiness, but Nico  _ still _ felt like something was wrong.

 

“I’m gonna go get a soda, do you want anything?”

 

Nico shook his head.

 

“I’ll be right back,” Will replied, and headed out the door.

 

Leaning back onto his stack of pillows, Nico sighed.  _ What’s wrong with him? What isn’t he telling me? _

 

A knock at the door- what a popular patient he was today- announced the arrival of two older gentlemen in uniform. Cop uniforms.

 

“Mr. di Angelo? We’re with the NYPD, we have some questions to ask about your accident,” one of the officers said.

 

“Hello, yeah, what do you need?”

 

“Just a statement from you, we’ll go over the details of the accident, and whether you’ll be pressing charges.”

 

“Sure, um… I was crossing the street, listening to my headphones, I- I wasn’t really paying attention honestly, and I’m fine, shouldn’t have any lasting injuries. My insurance will pay for everything, I’m not pressing charges,” Nico told the officer, a hand brushing his hair out of his face.

 

“Sir, are you sure about that? Mr. Solace has already accepted responsibility for the accident and-”

 

Nico felt his stomach drop.

 

“-has expressed that you would not have to take him to court over this matter.”

“It- yeah, no. I don’t want to press charges, um. Did you say Mr. Solace?”

 

Nico’s heart was pounding, hoping against all odds that Solace was a really common last name, that Nico had just misheard the officer,  _ that Will wasn’t lying to him _ .

 

“Yes, Mr. William Solace. He was driving his car when he hit you.”

 

Nico wanted to throw up.

 

“I- okay. Um, that’s it, right? I’m not feeling well, I should get some rest,” Nico told the officers, laying back in an attempt to stop the room from spinning.

 

“Of course Mr. di Angelo, thank you for your cooperation,” the officer told him before he and his partner left the room.

 

_ He hit me with his car and then lied about it, what else was he lying about? _

 

_ But he said he  _ liked you  _ remember? _

 

_ What if he was lying? _

 

_ But what if he wasn’t? _

 

_ I told him about my mom… I told him about  _ Bianca _ … _

 

Thoughts raced around in Nico’s head, trying to kindle his anger and soothe it at the same time.

 

The door opened again, but Nico just continued to stare at the ceiling.

 

“Nico, I have to tell you something. It’s important.”

 

Nico closed his eyes, trying to ignore the churning of his stomach.

 

“I...Are you alright Nico? You look kinda sick, should I call a nurse?”

 

Will’s voice had been warm and comforting, but now… every word felt like the twist of a knife Nico couldn’t quite dislodge from his chest.

 

“What color car do you drive,” Nico asked quietly.

 

“What?”

 

“Do you drive a yellow car? Bright yellow. Like the sun.”

 

Will was silent.

 

“Will.”

 

“Nico, I-”

 

“You need to leave.”

 

Silence.

 

“Nico, I know-”

 

“Now.”

 

“Nico, if you could let me explain…”

 

He refused to open his eyes, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hide the betrayal he felt, wouldn’t be able to stop tears from falling.

  
The sound of Will leaving the room was deafening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everybody! sorry it's been so long. when the semester started things got pretty wild for me.  
> pls excuse any misrepresentations of how police handle car accidents and stuff, i dont actually know how it works, so i just did whatever :P  
> next chapter is the last one, thanks to all of you who have stuck with this so far, i really appreciate it. special shout out to those who have left comments, y'all are so nice and im so happy you like this AU
> 
> you can find me on tumblr if you want


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! The final chapter! Hope it holds up to the rest!

“You should have seen him though, he hates me,” Will said. He threw himself deeper into the couch cushions with a huff. He slung one foot onto the coffee table, his other bouncing impatiently.

“Please, that boy does not hate you,” Lou Ellen reasoned as she handed Will the tea she had made him. She carefully sat among the large, faded-blue sea of couch. “He’s just hurt you didn’t tell him the truth.”

“That, or he’s mad because you hit him with your car,” Cecil muttered from the floor, eyes never leaving his open textbook.

Lou Ellen shoved Cecil with her foot, and he gave a mumbled apology.

“You should have told him yourself-”

“DON’T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT,” Will shouted. “I know I should have told him, but there isn’t an easy way to start that conversation- there isn’t a Hallmark card for accidentally running someone over. I was gonna tell him, I just… I didn’t want him to hate me…”

“Will, I know you were going to be honest with him, and I know you didn’t want to hurt him. But you did, and you can’t change that,” Lou Ellen said gently.

“Thanks for the recap, I hadn’t realized-” Will broke off at the sound of Cecil’s fist slamming on the table

“Stop being a dick and listen to her, dude. We get it, you didn’t tell him for good reasons, but the road to hell is paved with that shit. You messed up, and now the only things you can do are sit here and mope about it, or try to fix it.”

Will sat up, surprised at Cecil’s outburst.

“Will, Cecil is right. You can sit here and be upset, which I will only judge you for a little bit, and then move past all this. Or you can apologize, explain yourself, and maybe fix things. You might not be able to though, I want you to be prepared for that. Don’t talk to him because you don’t want him to hate you, talk to him because it’s the right thing to do.”

He looked at his friends, thankful (not for the first time) that even when things looked bleak, they were still around.

“Between you and me,” Lou Ellen began, gently placing her hand on his arm. “I think he should have given you a chance to explain. From what you said though, it seems like he has a hard time trusting people. I’m not saying he’ll forgive you or even want to talk to you afterwards, but I think it’s worth a shot,” Lou Ellen said.

Will nodded, mulling their words over in his mind.

*  
Will stared at his phone screen for hours. The message was there- typed, retyped, re-retyped- just waiting for him to hit send.

_TEXT TO: NICO_   
_Nico, I know I fucked up. Can we talk? Just once and I'll never speak to you again if that’s what you want. Please_

With held breath, he hit send. For a moment nothing happened, his phone working to send the message.

_Message Sent_

Will sighed heavily, releasing the tension in his shoulders slightly. He figured he had at least an hour before he’d get a response. Ever so slowly, he began to relax.

Hours later, Will checked his phone for messages.

_No New Messages_

He swore under his breath and stared at his phone, thinking. Before he could stop himself, he hit the call button and held his phone to his ear.

“We’re sorry, the number you are trying to reach has been disconnected,” said the recorded woman.

His heart sank. He didn’t know what would happen when he had sent the message, had been preparing for Nico’s rebuff, but this was worse. It was unexpected.

Will was at a loss of what to do. How could he apologize if he couldn’t talk to Nico?

He ran a hand through his hair and tossed his phone onto his bed.

_Fine,_ Will thought as anger bubbled within him. _If he doesn’t want to talk to me then fine._

He grabbed his laptop and stomped into the living room, settling down to listen to music at a dangerous volume to distract himself. Will checked his email, scrolled through his Twitter feed, eventually opened up Facebook, and was struck with a thought.

_You know what? Fuck that, he’s not getting rid of me that easily. I don’t care if he hates me, I’m gonna apologize._

Will typed Nico’s name into the search bar. After scrolling through search results for five minutes, he decided he needed a different approach.

Opening a new tab, Will typed “Nico di Angelo” into Google.

There were thousands of results. They were mostly business articles, a few tabloids here and there, articles about Hazel. Then there were the articles about Bianca. The pictures that accompanied them were grainy, but Will could make out Nico’s face. He had been much younger than he did now. He looked so broken. Will’s chest ached at the sight of it.

_I was really angry for a long time…_

Will kept scrolling through the article, without really reading it. At the bottom of the page was a link to Bianca’s obituary. He clicked it.

Bianca’s name was elegantly written at the top of the page above a picture of her. It had clearly been taken at some formal event. Will was surprised to see how much like Bianca Nico really looked. The same dark hair, the same eyes. They had the same smile. But more than that, Will recognized the ring on her right hand- a skull on a plain band.

Will’s heart skipped a beat. He needed to get this back to Nico.

Flicking back to Facebook, Will tried to remember anything that would help him find Nico. He typed in Hazel’s name.

Will scrolled through twenty different results before he found her. He clicked through to her profile. Her profile picture was cute; Hazel on Frank’s shoulders, cheering. He considered messaging her for a moment, but decided against it. She had to have gone to see Nico again that day. She probably knew all about it and hated Will too. Before he left the page though, he noticed her cover photo.

It was a group photo: Hazel and Frank side-by-side on the left, a girl with short, dark brown hair with thin braids on one side of her face was laughing next to them. Beside her a tall blonde guy was smiling, not looking at the camera, but at the girl with the braids. Next to him a short, impish looking kid with curly hair was grinning, and next to him was a girl whose blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail. Her gray eyes were intense, but kind. Around this girl’s waist was the arm of a tall guy with dark hair. He was smiling widely, his green eyes bright. And beside him was Nico. He was wearing the same headphones that had shattered in the crash. His hands were in his pockets and though he wasn’t quite smiling, the corners of his mouth were slightly turned upward.

Will clicked on the picture.

Now enlarged, the picture was covered in the names of everyone tagged. Nico wasn’t tagged. Will huffed at his discovery. He looked at the names on his screen again. Most of the people in the picture were strangers to Will, but that last name looked familiar.

_Percy Jackson…_

Will frowned, trying desperately to remember why that name was familiar to him.

_Things are better now that I’m over Percy…_

Will’s jaw dropped. This was the Percy. Before he could stop himself, Will clicked his name and was directed to his profile.

After a quick look at the page, Will understood why Nico had liked him. Percy was an impressive dude.

He opened a new message to Percy and slowly began to type.

_Hi Percy, my name’s Will. I know you dont know me, but i know your friend, Nico. He was in the hospital a few days ago. Do you know if he’s ok? I need to apologize to him._

About everything.

Will sent the messages, refusing to allow himself to second guess his decision. Leaving the page open, Will waited.

The notification sound rang softly from his computer.

Will flipped back to Facebook and saw a response from Percy.

_dont message me again_

Will’s eyes narrowed in anger.

_Ok i get it. I messed up. I royally screwed everything and now he and frank and hazel and you apparently all hate me. I deserve it._

_But i also deserve a chance to explain myself._

_Percy:_   
_Then explain._

Will froze for a moment. He didn’t owe him an explanation- he didn’t even know this guy. But if it meant being able to talk to Nico again… Will took a deep breath and started typing.

_I was driving in my car, i didnt see him at first, but when i did i slammed on the breaks. He hit the ground and was bleeding so i called an ambulance and tried to stop the bleeding. The ambulance took him to the hospital and i went over as soon as the cops let me. I was so worried he was gonna die. When he was conscious i went to apologize for what i had done, to offer to pay for his hospital bills but i saw him and i froze. When he asked who i was i panicked and said i was a med student which isnt entirely a lie since im a pre med student but i still lied._

_I just want to apologize, i was gonna tell him i swear, but someone beat me to it_

_Percy:_   
_Why do you care so much?_

_Will:_   
_Because i owe him an apology. I ruined his vacation, i almost killed him, and i like him. He deserves an apology. I know i messed up, but i want to make sure hes ok, i need to know i tried everything to tell him im sorry. Nobody deserves to be hit by a car, especially not him.._

_Percy did not respond right away. Will watched as Percy typed, then stopped, then started typing again. A few minutes later, Percy finally finished his message:_

_Friday @ 8. I cant guarantee he’ll listen or that he'll let you talk, but i can get you close enough to try_

The next message Will received was an address

_Will:_   
_Thanks percy_

_Percy:_   
_Dont make me regret this_

*  
Will raised a hand to knock on the door in front of him for a moment, then lowered it with a sigh.

He could hear the thump of a bass line from the music inside. His heart seemed determined to keep pace with it. Turning away from the door he looked out at the lawn. Will’s bright yellow jeep stood out among the gray and black cars of the other guests.

He shifted uncomfortably as he tried to decide what to do. He was nervous about going inside, having people see him and know who he was. Having strangers get angry and throw him out before he could apologize.

It was too hot outside now, the humid summer air closing in, suffocating him. His jeans were too heavy, his t-shirt too constricting to feel the gentle breeze that floated by.

I should just leave before someone sees me.

It head hung, Will walked back over to his jeep and hoped in. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he dug around in his pocket for his keys.

He didn’t come up with his keys though. Instead the skull ring lay in his hand, surprisingly cool in the heat.

Will looked back at the house, then down at his hand. He remembered the ring lying in the street. Remembered it sitting on his desk at home. He remembered it on Bianca’s hand in the picture. On Nico’s hand in Hazel’s Facebook photo.

Closing his hand around the ring, he got out of the car and walked back up to the door. He knocked loudly three times, and waited anxiously for the door to open.

Will heard the faint sound of the door unlocking and he took a step back. When the door swung open, the blonde girl from the photograph was staring at him. Her gray eyes were even more intense in person and she had a thin smile on her face, the one you give to people you think are going to talk to you about their “Lord and Savior”.

“Uh, hi. I'm uh… my name's Will, I’m looking for Percy- well, actually I'm looking for Nico, but Percy invited me, and-”

“No need to keep going dude. Annabeth, I got this,” Percy cut in.

At the look the girl, Annabeth, gave Percy, Will realized that no one else knew he would be here.

“Percy,” Annabeth said quietly.

“Just trust me okay?”

She hesitated, but reluctantly nodded and moved aside to let him in.

Percy held out a hand to Will. Hesitantly, Will took it and the other boy offered a small smile.

“Good to meet you in person.”

“You too,” Will responded.

“Nico’s out back with Hazel. I'll take you, follow me.”

Will followed Percy through the house. The dimly lit hallway lead to a spacious kitchen and living room. The kitchen glittered with stainless steel appliances, soda cans, and bottles of liquor. The living room was entertaining a crowd of people, some of whom Will recognized from his Facebook research.

The girl with the braids and the blonde guy, now in glasses, were sitting at one end of the couch. A girl with long dark hair was laughing at something the blonde guy had said. The impish boy was talking to a small group of people, gesturing wildly with his hands. A table toward the back of the room was the base of some drinking game. Frank stood in the corner, keeping an eye on everything. He saw, but did not comment on the sight of Will walking through the house with Percy. Will wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

The hardwood floors stretched to the sliding glass doors that lead to the back porch. Outside, Will could make out Hazel and Nico, leaning over the railing.

When they reached the door, Percy opened it and gestured for Will to walk out alone.

His heart started to beat faster as he walked back into the heat.

The porch was lined with fairy lights, giving off a low light to fend off the growing darkness. Lanterns sat around the edge of the porch every few feet, probably to discourage bugs.

Hazel looked back and froze, jaw slightly dropped, when she saw him. Nico snapped around at Hazel’s reaction.

Will watched his face go from confused to blank. The cup slip from Nico’s fingers. Hazel put a hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off. Will noticed the slight flinch on Nico’s face; probably his ribs. He took in the bulky cast on Nico’s left arm, the brace on his right leg.

Nico mumbled something to her and slowly, she walked past Will and back into the house. Will watched as she left, not entirely sure that what was happening was real.

When he turned back to Nico, the emptiness had been replaced by the broken expression he had worn at Bianca’s funeral. The sight of it, knowing he was the cause of it, made Will nauseous. But he stood firm, determined to try his best to fix things.

“I’m sorry.”

Nico didn't respond.

“I’m so sorry. For the accident. For lying when we met. For not being the one to tell you the truth. All of it. I didn't know how to tell you without…” Will took a deep breath, trying to find the right words.

“Without what?”

It was barely a whisper, but it was enough.

“Without you hating me... I was so sorry and I wanted to make sure you were okay, and when I saw you I just… and after we talked… anyways, I just thought you’d want this back.” Will opened his hand to reveal the skull ring.

Nico stared at it, eyebrows raised and mouth slightly open.

“I-I found it the day of the accident. I wasn’t sure it was yours until…” he trailed off.

Nico looked up at him, brow now furrowed as he silently demanded Will to continue.

“When your cell phone was disconnected, I, uh, googled you to find an email or address or something so I could try to talk to you, and there were a bunch of articles and stuff, and I came across… Bianca’s picture… from the… yeah,” Will said, voice quiet. “And I, thought you would, uh, that you’d want it back, so. Here.”

He offered his open palm to Nico, looking anywhere but directly at him. Nico took the ring and slipped it onto his right hand. His long fingers twisted the piece nervously when Nico looked back at Will.

“Why do you care?”

For a long time, Will didn’t understand why others were so surprised by his desire to care for other people. He didn’t understand people’s hesitation to accept help. But as he got older, he learned that many people’s offers of help had strings attached. While Will had never experienced this, the question of why made it clear that Nico had.

“Because. I put you in the hospital, you didn’t deserve that. You didn’t deserve a lot of things… I’m sorry I lied, sorry I didn’t give this back earlier. You deserve good things, Nico, even if you don’t believe it. You’re a good person,” Will smiled softly.

They stood outside under the lights, listening to the night. A gentle breeze rustled the trees. They could hear crickets chirping over the muffled music and voices from inside.

Will took a deep breath and said, “I’m uh, I’m gonna head out then, I guess.”

Nico mumbled something under his breath.

“What?”

“You could stay... if you want.”

“Do you want me to?”

“I-” Nico’s blush stained his cheeks. “Yeah… if you’re not busy or anything.”

“I’m not busy.”

Nico nodded and glanced down at the ring he fidgeted with. “Okay.”

“So how do you feel,” Will asked after a moment.

“Like I got hit by a car,” Nico replied, a small grin tugging at his lips. “My ribs hurt a little, but I’m okay...”

Another pause.

“Nico, where does this leave us? I mean, I like you and it seemed for a minute there that you maybe…”

Nico’s shoulders rose slowly, less of a shrug and more an attempt to hide from Will’s question.

“It’s cool if you don't, or if you changed your mind or something, I totally understand,” Will said, trying to ignore the ache in his chest.

He looked up at the night sky, at the sliver of moon hanging delicately among the stars.

When Nico cleared his throat, Will glanced down and almost jumped at how close the two of them were. Nico was looking at him, uncertainty floating in his dark eyes. Will watched as they flicked to the glass door behind him, then back. His own eyes flicked down to Nico’s lips, a pale shade of pink and slightly open. He felt his own face flush with heat before glancing away.

“Can I-” Will broke off at the press of Nico’s lips to his. Will kissed him back, arms wrapping around Nico. When he heard a sharp gasp, Will pulled away.

“What’s wrong? Did I do something-”

“It’s just my ribs,” Nico interrupted. His face was clenched as he took deep breaths. Will loosened his hold and put his forehead against Nico’s.

“Sorry, I should’ve been more careful,” Will whispered.

“Just now or when you were driving?”

For a split second Will tensed. But the teasing tone of his words and his soft chuckle made the tension fade. Nico kissing him again helped too.

They stayed outside for hours, kissing, talking, and laughing. Neither had realized how late it was until Percy came out to get them.

“I hate to interrupt, but it’s almost one in the morning.”

Will pulled his phone from his pocket and stared at the time in disbelief.

_12:47 am_

“Shit, I should probably get going,” Will mumbled, stifling a yawn.

Nico and Percy exchanged looks, having an entire conversation without saying a word.

“Will, you’re welcome to spend the night if you don’t want to drive back into the city,” Percy offered with a smile of- was that relief?

“Uh, yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Cool, you’re welcome to anything in the kitchen. Be careful not to step on any of our guests when you head in, some of them passed out on the floor. I’m going to bed, but if you need me, I’m in the room upstairs to the left. See you in the morning.”

And with that, Will and Nico were alone again.

“We should go inside,” Nico said quietly.

“Sure.”

Will followed Nico through the now quiet house, trying his best to navigate through the sleeping bodies on the floor. Nico lead him to an empty room near the front of the house.

The room was sparsely decorated, just a rug and chaise lounge opposite the bed. The colors were cool blues and grays, swallowing the faint light from the window on the far wall. A fan hung from the ceiling, spinning steadily.Nico grabbed a bag from the lounger and sat on the full sized bed. He slipped off his shoes and riffled through his bag for a moment.

“Do you want to borrow a shirt or something? To sleep?”

Will looked down at his frankly sweaty tshirt. He nodded and Nico tossed him a plain black tank top. He stared down at the shirt in his hand, unsure of what to do next.

“The bathroom is down the hall, just before the living room. There’s a pack of toothbrushes under the sink.”

When Will returned, now in the tank top and his boxers to sleep, Nico was in sweatpants attempting to rebandage his ribs. The dark purple and blue bruises stood out boldly against the expanse of pale skin.

“Do you want some help with that?”

Nico looked up at Will, pain written in his furrowed brow, but his eyes were something different. He looked ashamed. He nodded anyway. Will dropped his shirt and gently took the bandage from him and began wrapping.

“This is hard enough to do on your own with two arms, don’t be too hard on yourself about it,” Will said quietly.

“I just… I hate feeling useless,” Nico sighed, voice shaking in frustration.

Will finished wrapping Nico’s ribs in silence. After Nico had pulled his shirt back on he climbed slowly into the bed and under the covers.

“There are blankets in the hall closet if you want, but the bed is more comfortable than the lounger…”

“Are you sure,” Will asked, not wanting to make Nico uncomfortable.

Nico nodded, but didn’t meet his eyes. Will sat on the other side of the bed, but hesitated to lie down.

“I wouldn’t blame you for being uncomfortable around me,” he said, voice barely a whisper. “You don’t have to automatically trust me, Nico. I don’t deserve that after I lied to you. You… you’ve had a lot of shit happen in your life and are entitled to be careful about it. And I just… I want you to know I’m going to work hard to earn your trust back. Because you deserve that.”

A warm hand on his back made Will jump, but Nico’s face was gentle as he smiled at Will. A brilliant, genuine smile that made the room around him seem lighter.

The flutter in his stomach and the pang in his chest made Will smile back. Ever so slowly, he leaned forward and kissed Nico.

When he pulled away Nico yawned.

“I’m tired,” Nico said. “Don’t know if you heard, but I just got out of the hospital and I need sleep.”

“Oh really,” Will chuckled softly. He lay back next to Nico and after a moment, wrapped an arm around him. Will took a deep breath before saying, “I can’t hang around too long tomorrow. I have school.”

“Okay,” Nico replied, yawning again. “There’s always the next day.”

The fluttering in Will’s stomach returned. “Yeah?”

Nico turned his face into Will’s shoulder.

“Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there it is folks. hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> i want to thank literally everyone who read this, you are the real MVPs. I know it took forever to finish, but thanks for sticking with it and thanks so much for all the feedback and love you all gave me. if you like this, want more, have a request for a fic, etc, you can hmu on tumblr (apotterlifeforme)


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